The PP will bring to Congress the law to regulate the shutdown of power plants

Nadal points out that the initiative will raise the reasons why companies can be denied a closure

12 Mart 2018 Pazartesi 08:02 - 88 reads.

The Minister of Energy, Tourism and Digital Agenda, Álvaro Nadal, has announced that Popular parliamentary group in Congress will present in coming days a proposal of law to regulate procedure of shutting down power plants. The initiative will incorporate most relevant observations made by National Market and Competition Commission (CNMC) in its report of January 24, to draft royal decree proposed by Ministry.

This proposal seeks to give rule of law to standard, as raised by CNMC, after Minister of Energy had prepared a draft that acted by decree and without having to go through Congress. In this way, according to minister, finally parliamentary groups will have to decide if y want that closure of any type of power plant (rmal, nuclear, combined cycles, etc.) is a mere business decision or "that this is compatible with Energy policy objectives "to be consensúen.

Nadal meets with Iberdrola's president to address closure of rmal power plants

Nadal has insisted that closure of plants must be "ordered and must ensure competition while increasing generation of renewable energies." To this end, according to Ministry of Energy's communiqué, proposal will raise assumptions by which a request for closure can be denied.

Currently, electricity Sector law only contemplates security of supply, and now two additional assumptions will be proposed to that standard: impact on prices or competition of market and fulfillment of objectives of reduction of gases with greenhouse effect .

The Minister thus made a measure that had already advanced and that had generated discomfort in electricity sector precisely by intention that it is companies that carry expenses of closing. The most virulent response was Iberdrola's, which had announced closure of two coal plants (Lada in Asturias and Velilla in Palencia) and which questions lengning of useful life of nuclear weapons.

Agreement in Aragon

Nadal announced this presentation after signing with President of Government of Aragon, Javier Lambán, a framework agreement of collaboration for economic impulse of coal-mining regions. Both administrations will collaborate to promote alternative employment of coal-mining regions, through infrastructure and restoration projects of degraded areas in municipalities affected by closure of mining operations of Coal in Aragon.

In field of infrastructure, actions can be financed to improve industrial estates, provision of telecommunication lines and energy diversification in public buildings. Aid may also be requested for projects promoting creation and equipping of nurseries of companies and technological development centres.

As regards environmental restoration projects included in Convention, y will involve improvement, restoration, recovery and revaluation of escombreras, degraded zones and areas affected by coal mining operations. Forest recovery projects and atmospheric sanitation-related actions will also be benefited from improved air quality, sound levels and improvement of wastewater purification stations.

The actions proposed by Aragonese government will be presented to Ministry of Energy, Tourism and Digital Agenda, through Institute for Restructuring of coal mining (IRMC) and its financing require a specific agreement between IRMC and Government of Aragon for every performance.

Following signing of this agreement, a bilateral commission for cooperation between Aragon and Ministry of Energy, Tourism and Digital Agenda will be created for follow-up and implementation of this Agreement and specific conventions. The validity of Convention signed today will be extended until 31 December 2018. This framework agreement adds to all initiatives put in place by Government in support of mining regions.